How Much Does the LSAT Cost?

Paying for the LSAT is the first step in the very costly process of earning your law degree. Luckily, the barrier to entry is relatively low: the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) charges a “basic fee” of $190.

But there are other LSAT fees that can add up quickly. Let’s take a look at all the possible fees you may have to pay.

Additional LSAT Registration Fees

But keep in mind that additional fees may apply to your specific situation. If you live more than 100 miles from a published test center and are unable to travel to one, you can ask the LSAC to set up what they call a . However, it’ll cost you. You’ll have to submit an extra $295 for a domestic request (or $390 for an international request).

LSAT Costs and Fees

LSAT Fees and Related LSAC Costs

Amount

LSAT Registration Fee

$190

Credential Assembly Service Fee

$195

Law School Reports

$45 for each school

Test Center Change

$125

Test Date Change

$125

Domestic Nonpublished Test Center

$295

International Nonpublished Test Center

$390

Handscoring

$100

Note: LSAC recently upped its fees starting in 2018; these are the latest numbers.

LSAT Cost After You’ve Taken the Test

Even once you’re done with the LSAT, you may still have to shell out more. For an additional $100, you can request that LSAC handscore your test. Handscoring could be worthwhile if you think your score was affected by eraser marks or lead smears (which will fortunately no longer occur once the LSAT goes digital).

You’ll also need to pay for school reports and the credential assembly service, so let’s take a look those costs next.

The Credential Assembly Service

As part of your LSAT cost, you’ll need to pay for LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Applying to most law schools—including all law schools approved by the —requires a CAS account.

The fee to set up a CAS account is $195, and there is an additional $45 fee for each report requested by a law school through the service. These reports are how LSAC communicates your LSAT score, academics, and professional background to the law schools.

Typical LSAT Costs

So, let’s take a look at the usual cost for someone who registers before the first deadline to take the LSAT at a published test center and plans to apply to three law schools:

LSAT Registration Fee: $190

Credential Assembly Service Fee: $195

Law School Reports: $45 x 3 = $135

Total LSAT Cost: $520

Note: this total does not include any application fees charged by the law schools or any of the special fees described above.

LSAT Fee Waiver

If you are unable to afford these fees, the LSAC offers a fee waiver for the cost of taking two LSATs, the CAS registration, and four law school reports. If you meet certain and you are unable to pay for these fees, you should consider applying for an LSAT cost waiver.

The process for getting a fee waiver can take some time, so be sure to apply early. And since the fee waiver is good for two years, you don’t have to worry about it expiring too soon.

Takeaway

As you can see, taking the LSAT involves a substantial financial investment. You should plan on paying at least $560 to take the exam and send your score reports. To help keep your LSAT costs low, Clemmonsdogpark offers . And don’t forget the free LSAT prep resources, like a free online practice test!

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About Sean Cooke

Sean blogs about LSAT strategies and tips and law school admissions for Clemmonsdogpark. With graduate degrees in education and law, Sean is both a veteran classroom teacher and a practicing attorney. He loves logic games, esoteric case law, and watching Netflix with his wife and Moby, his English bulldog.

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